Minister of Petroleum and Energy receives report from the Thorium Report Committee

The Thorium Report Committee was appointed in March 2007 by the Norwegian Research Council on behalf of the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. The Committee was commisioned in order to arrive at a solid knowledge base concerning opportunities and risks related to the use of thorium for long-term energy production.

-I want to thank the Committee for their solid scientific work with this report, which has contributed to our knowledge on thorium. I register that the report neither provides grounds for a complete rejection of thorium as a fuel source for energy production, nor does it offer enough reason for embracing it as such. The Government’s viewpoint has not changed, meaning that there exist no plans to allow construction of nuclear power plants in Norway. The Government wishes to prioritise the development and deployment of renewable energy sources like bioenergy and wind power, in particular offshore wind turbines. I want as many as possible to have the opportunity to have their say in this matter, and have therefore decided that we will consult the broader public through a hearing.

The report will be sent out on a hearing. Deadline for submission of viewpoints will be 31 May 2008.

The report in pdf.

Professor Mikko Karas presentation on the press conference in pdf.